Six Nations: Wales call up Scarlets’ Taine Plumtree before Italy test
Image source, Getty ImagesMen’s Six Nations: Italy v Wales
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Date: Saturday, 8 February Kick-off: 14:15 GMT
Coverage: Listen live on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales & BBC Radio Cymru; text commentary and highlights on BBC Sport website and app; watch on ITV1 and S4C.
Wales have called Scarlets back row Taine Plumtree into the Six Nations squad with continuing concerns over injured number eight Aaron Wainwright and centre Owen Watkin.
Plumtree will join the squad in Nice before they travel to face Rome in Italy next Saturday.
Sale prop WillGriff John also links up at the south of France training camp after recovering from a head injury.
Wainwright and Watkin have not been officially released from the squad while the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has not provided extensive injury details or a time frame on a potential playing return.
This is despite the pair suffering what looked like serious injuries in Wales’ 43-0 drubbing by France in Paris in the opening game of the tournament on Friday night.
Dragons number eight Wainwright sustained his facial injury during the fourth minute and was waiting on scans for a suspected broken cheekbone.
Ospreys centre Watkin was carried off and left the Stade de France on crutches with Wales head coach Warren Gatland saying afterwards he might have suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) problem, an injury which would rule him out for the rest of the season.
Plumtree back into the fold
‘Wales have to be smart’ Gatland on defeat to France
Plumtree will act as cover for Wainwright and Taulupe Faletau, who is the other specialist number eight in the initial squad but missed the game at Stade de France because of a knee injury.
Wainwright was replaced by Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell during Friday’s match, with James Botham switching to number eight during the game.
Plumtree was left out of the squad initially after featuring in the autumn series where he packed down at number eight against South Africa.
No centre cover has been drafted in with Wales still able to call on the likes of Nick Tompkins, Ben Thomas, Eddie James and Joe Roberts.
This means there remains no call-up for Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn or his club team-mate fly-half Gareth Anscombe.
Wales face Italy on Saturday with Gatland’s side bidding to avoid a 14th consecutive international defeat.
